I recently heard about this documentary called The God Who Wasn’t There. It’s basic premise is to rip apart Christianity. I really want to see this documentary so I can refute it. For now, here’s what I had to say about the talking points:

…irreverently lays out the case that Jesus Christ never existed.

The existence and stories of Jesus has been proven to stand up in a court of law according to Harvard Law better than any case based on witness accounts. Most historians, atheists, and people who generally hate Christianity are not stupid enough to claim he didn’t exist. There is way too much evidence for him.

The early founders of Christianity seem wholly unaware of the idea of a human Jesus.

The early founders never comprehended Jesus might actually be divine. They knew he was “The Christ”, but they were wholly unaware that he was God until after his death and resurrection. Oh wait, faith critics will reject this point because they don’t believe the resurrection actually happened, or that he existed, and therefore they have to draw conclusions ONLY based on these assumptions.

The Jesus of the Gospels bears a striking resemblance to other ancient heroes and the figureheads of pagan savior cults

Ancient figureheads and pagan savior cults notoriously ripped off Jewish History. Christianity was born out of Judaism with Christ the Messiah (Jesus) replacing fulfilling the Torah (the Law) [Edited - See Comments]. Judaism still holds the messiah notion, but he has not yet been revealed. The Jewish tradition is what first brought on the messiah notion and these pagan cultures stole from the Jews. There is a whole lot of evidence that explores how much the Jewish tradition was mined for stories, meaning, ideas, rituals, etc. For this documentary to say Christianity rips off of pagan cults would be similar to an author who had his work stolen and then altered through gossip and then that author’s son later on in life is told he’s crazy for trying to set the record straight about his father.

Contemporary Christians are largely ignorant of the origins of their religion.

I think a lot of people of all faiths are largely ignorant of the origins of their religions. Atheists usually are very intimate with their beliefs because it’s largely a faith based on responding to religion than it is wholly its own framework of being.

Fundamentalism is as strong today as it ever has been, with an alarming 44% of Americans believing that Jesus will return to earth in their lifetimes.

This statement assumes that everyone should accept it to be “alarming” that even 1 person believes Jesus will return to the earth. Why? Why Why Why should THIS be more alarming than any of this crazy talk: Muslims believe they will be rewarded with 77 virgins in paradise, Buddhists believe they will achieve nothingness? Hindu believe they may become a tree or an animal, or if they are lucky a cow! They also over spiritualize everything and constantly worship everything as 1000s of gods litter the cities in India. Atheism: There is no god, you just end. All of these beliefs say something central to their faith:

• Muslims: Over obsessed with male dominance, patriarchy, sex, and submission
• Buddhists: Everything in life is a distraction and nothing has value
• Hindu: You will never rest in this religion as you are distracted to worship anything and everything and when you die it keeps going.
• Atheism: You just end, that’s it? This is just pride. It’s too humbling to say “well there might be a God and if so I should probably believe in Him”
• Christianity: We are humans, not perfect, and therefore need a savior to come back and help us.

Christianity cannot possibly be any more alarming than these notions, regardless of what you believe.